Statement by Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lodi Gyari, head of the Tibetan delegation, following the sixth round of discussions with the Chinese leadership

For immediate release
7 July 2007

(From left to right) Bhuchung K. Tsering, Sonam N. Dagpo, Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen, Special Envoy Lodi Gyari, Executive Vice Minister of the Central United Front Work Department Zhu Weiqun and Vice Minister Sithar

Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen and I, accompanied by two members of our Task Force, Sonam N. Dagpo and Bhuchung K. Tsering, visited China from June 29 to July 5, 2007 for the sixth round of discussions with the Chinese leadership. On our return to Dharamsala we made our reports to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche. We have also briefed the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile and the Kashag.

During this trip three sessions of discussion were held over a day and a half in Shanghai and Nanjing. The Executive Vice Minister of the Central United Front Work Department, Zhu Weiqun, and the Vice Minister, Sithar (who has been recently promoted to this post), led the discussions from the Chinese side. The discussions were candid and frank. Both sides expressed in strong terms their divergent positions and views on a number of issues.

Our dialogue process has reached a critical stage. We conveyed our serious concerns in the strongest possible manner on the overall Tibetan issue and made some concrete proposals for implementation if our dialogue process is to go forward.

We were instructed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to submit a comprehensive analysis of the dialogue process. The Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche will be convening a meeting of the Task Force, which has been specially established to assist the Envoys in the dialogue process.

Dharamsala
7 July 2007

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